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GLG News by this Author

High-Power vs. High-Brightness GaN LED Markets

May 19, 2008

Analysis of:Raytheon-Led Team Demonstrates Innovative Technique Growing Semiconductor Compounds on Silicon | compoundsemi.com

The current optoelectronics market for GaN dwarfs applications in the high-power electronics category, which will remain the case unless comparable GaN-on-silicon technology is enabled.  Currently, SiC and GaN are designated for high-end defense-related electronic applications, and it will take significant venture capital and government funding to facilitate these material systems for pervasive usage in consumer markets.

Is China Developing a Solar Energy Monopoly?

May 5, 2008

Analysis of:"Chindia" Rushes Into Solar | sst.pennnet.com

As other countries continue to thrive on the solar boom, the United States is falling behind in solar cell capacity and adoption of panels and plants.  China surpassed Japan and Germany in 2007 as the top world producer of solar cells, and may eventually develop a monopoly over time.  The question will be how consumers absorb the cost of solar power over time in each respective country.

Why Intel Succeeds Amidst Semiconductor Downturn?

April 21, 2008

Analysis of:iSuppli lowers semi sales forecast to 4% | www.edn.com

As AMD and other semiconductor companies continue to spin their wheels, lay off engineers, consolidate product lines further, and watch their executives walk out the door, leading to a major decline in revenue, hopefully they will try to replicate the Intel model for doing business in whatever degree is feasible- based on their position in the marketplace.

Global Solar Cell Market Grows 62% Amidst Reliance on Poly-Silicon

April 7, 2008

Analysis of:Worldwide Solar Market Grows By 62% in 2007 - Solarbuzz Report | www.semiconductor.net

Increases in inflation reaching the level of 4%, along with a 10% rise in oil prices, have not helped an already weak semiconductor industry; however, the solar industry is less sensitive and may even gain as a result with increased emphasis on reducing dependence on oil supplies and the conversion of company resources from semiconductors towards solar cell applications. As new and emerging technology demonstrate increases in efficiency, especially with reduced poly-crystalline silicon inputs, the resultant panel and power plant costs will be reduced to meet the holy grail of grid parity with established conventional energy sources.

MEMS are HOT ! - Jump On Board Now

March 31, 2008

Analysis of:Strong Sensor, Actuator Market Driven By MEMS Technologies | www.semiconductor.net

Sound reasoning can explain the success of the MEMS industry over memory and other lower growth segments of semiconductors.  Part of the successful performance financially of MEMS technology has been the fact that it is less capital intensive than logic or memory device processing, since it does not require aggressive scaling of node size, which is only accomplished with $50 million photolithography stepper tools and a full suite of other expensive process and metrology equipment.  In comparison to gains in MEMS, the semiconductor market in 2007 has been characterized by excess capacity and high demand, whereas 2008 will likely be characterized by better capacity balance but softening demand.

Semiconductor Assembly and Test Services Outperform Overall Industry!

March 19, 2008

Analysis of:Test, Packaging Growth Hit 7.4% in 2007 | www.semiconductor.net

The semiconductor assembly and electrical test services segment has been a bright light in the dark tunnel of the industry lately, where significant declines have been observed for memory chips and overall capital equipment expenditures.  Semiconductor packaging is a key growth segment propelled by its critical nature for innovation of CMOS image sensors and LEDs.

AMAT Solar Cell Surprise- Who is Responsible or Does It Even Matter?

March 10, 2008

Analysis of:Who's behind AMAT's $1.9B mystery solar sale? | sst.pennnet.com

Amidst further negative outlooks for memory chips in 2008, companies such as TEL and AMAT who have converted resources to supporting the expanding solar cell industry are clearly in a better position than their competitors who will be "left out in the cold" as a result of the downturn for memory IC equipment, which primarily fuels this industry.

Optimal Trends for LEDs

March 3, 2008

Analysis of:LED ASPs for handset backlighting fall 10-15% in January | www.digitimes.com

The overall potential for LED lighting is enormous which has fueled the rumors of traditional lighting companies such as General Electric showing interest in acquiring LED companies before it is too late.  For good measure, as shifting away from the highly competitive commodity oriented business may be the best alternative as ASPs shrink for traditional LED applications, as momentum increases for enhancing energy efficiency using Green technology.   

How to Deal with Your Failing Memory..…Market?

February 25, 2008

Analysis of:Apple flash order reduction hurts NAND outlook, iSuppli reports | www.edn.com

As projections show the first year-to-year decline for NAND flash orders since the last recession which companies will be willing to test the calmer waters of MEMS, solar cells and LEDs to avert profit losses and potentially ride-the-tide successfully to 2009 and beyond.  Any successful transition will require prudent foresight and a streamlined conversion strategy from the status quo. 

Solar Cell Industry Trends for Poly-silicon

February 19, 2008

Analysis of:SunPower Announces 3-Gigawatt Silicon Supply Agreement with Jupiter, Qingdao DTK Industries Co., Ltd. | www.semiconductor.net

Achieving grid parity of $1/Watt in the solar cell industry is the holy grail for replacing common methods of energy production.  The increased demand for polycrystalline silicon has hampered the most developed and highest efficiency solar cells from meeting this objective.  Thus, there are emerging partnerships with members of the supply chain of silicon substrates and solar cell manufacturers to guarantee meeting high-volume production metrics necessary for generating a sufficient economy of scale.

The End of DRAM and Flash Memory?

February 12, 2008

Analysis of:ISSCC news: Intel, Numonyx disclose "breakthrough" MLC phase-change memory | www.edn.com

The long-awaited breakthrough to achieve a functional and manufacturable phase-change memory integrated circuit appears to have been achieved by Samsung and Numonyx over the last five monthes.  Samsung has approximately a six-month lead in this emerging market over all other competitors.  Assuming, this new technology reaches it full potential, it has the possibility of replacing DRAM, NOR flash and NAND flash over the next decade.

Expansion of MEMS Market to $14 Billion

February 5, 2008

Analysis of:Yole Ranks Top 30 MEMS Suppliers; Sees Rapid Growth in Consumer, Medical | www.semiconductor.net

The success of the micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device market has truly fallen under the radar of the electronic materials world of late.  There has been ample attention garnered by the crash of the DRAM industry, decline of the semiconductor capital equipment sector, and growth of the solar cell market. Amidst the potential shakeout of companies in the DRAM market as average selling prices plummet and enormous capital investment needed to continue to shrink node sizes for successive generations of Flash memory, MEMS devices offer companies the opportunity the leverage their current tool capacity for a diverse set of applications including automotive, medical, testing and consumer electronic devices.

Trickle-Down Effects in the Semiconductor Industry- AGAIN

January 22, 2008

Analysis of:North American Equipment Book-to-Bill Indicates Lower Capexs | www.edn.com

Semiconductor original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been facing the burden of a major downturn in the industry.  It is the “pass-the-buck” dependence these companies such as Applied Materials (AMAT), LAM, TEL, ASML and KLA-Tencor, etc. have faced since entering the business.  It is déjà-vu all over again for logic and memory OEMs, and neither the boom for high-brightness light emitting diodes (LEDs) or solar cells nor the current recession fears will help.

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